Advocates of federally subsidized expansion of the Houston Metro light rail system lost a crucial round to Houston Congressman John Culberson on Friday, leaving dwindling opportunities to overturn spending restrictions on the Richmond Avenue project.

The House adopted a $51.6 billion spending measure on a 261-163 vote that included Culberson’s ban on federal spending for any Metro expansion along Richmond Avenue and Post Oak Boulevard. The measure also requires an in-depth audit of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County by the inspector general of the Department of Transportation.

In a boost for Metro, the spending package included $200 million in 2013 to support continued work on the lines in the North Corridor and Southeast Corridor.

House approval stands as “a significant milestone in my determined effort to protect Houston taxpayers from Metro’s profligate spending and to protect the quality of life for property owners along Richmond Avenue and Post Oak Boulevard,” Culberson said. “I have always promised to guard the gate of the public treasury from wasteful and unwanted government spending.”

‘Remain hopeful’

The House vote left Metro supporters holding their fire and looking to deliberations by a House-Senate conference committee later this year to make the final decision on a ban included in the House bill but not included in the Senate version.

“We will await the outcome of the normal process in the House and Senate,” said Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia. “We remain hopeful that Congress will respect the wishes of local voters on local issues, as is normally the case.”

“Culberson is pandering to a handful of his supporters at the long-term expense of this district,” Holzer said. “Marketing himself as “Letting Texans run Texas,” while pushing his personal anti-rail agenda in Washington is ironic.”

“We have shown Senator Hutchison‘s staff that these two Metro lines are unaffordable, unnecessary and unwanted,” Culberson told the Houston Chronicle after the House vote. “I am very optimistic that Senator Hutchison will support our effort because it only affects my congressional district, it’s very personal to me and we have a long tradition in the Texas delegation of ‘your district is your business.’ ”

Supports other lines

Spokesman Tom Flanagin, leaving wide room to maneuver, said neither Hutchison nor her staff were “commenting on this at this time.”

Culberson emphasized his continued support for federal funding for lines along the North Corridor and Southeast Corridor that he said were backed by voters in a 2003 referendum. Culberson contends neither voters nor property owners along the Richmond Avenue and Post Oak Boulevard support Metro expansion along those routes.

Members of the Houston-area congressional delegation, including Democratic Reps. Gene Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, said they would continue to support federal spending for Metro.